Lok Sabha Speaker to Inaugurate 6Th Conference of CPA India Region in Patna
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Lok Sabha Speaker to Inaugurate 6th Conference of CPA India Region in Patna Lok Sabha Secretariat Camp: Patna Patna, 16 February 2018: Lok Sabha Speaker Smt. Sumitra Mahajan will inaugurate the 6th Conference of CPA India Region in Patna, Bihar in Gyan Bhawan, Samrat Ashoka Convention Kendra, Patna on 17 February 2018 at 1030 hours. The Opening Ceremony of the Conference will be attended by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar. The Welcome Address will be delivered by Hon’ble Speaker, Bihar Vidhan Sabha, Shri Vijay Kumar Choudhary. Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Sushil Kumar Modi and the Hon’ble Leader of the Opposition, Bihar Vidhan Sabha, Shri Tejashwi Prasad Yadav will also grace the Inaugural Session. Chairperson, CPA Executive Committee, Hon’ble Emilia M. Lifaka, will also address the distinguished delegates. Present and former Members of Bihar Legislature and other dignitaries will attend the Inaugural Ceremony. The two-day Conference will discuss the following subjects: (i) Parliament’s role in the development agenda; and (ii) Legislature and Judiciary – Two important Pillars of Democracy. Hon’ble Chairman, Estimates Committee, Lok Sabha, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi and Hon’ble Minister of Law and Justice & Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, will deliver the Key Note Addresses at the two Plenaries, respectively. Hon’ble Governor of Bihar, H.E. Shri Satya Pal Malik will address the Valedictory Session of the Conference to be held on 18 February 2018 at Bihar Vidhan Sabha. Lok Sabha Speaker, Smt. Sumitra Mahajan; Speaker, Bihar Vidhan Sabha, ShriVijay Kumar Choudhary; Deputy Chairman, Bihar Vidhan Parishad, Shri Md. Haroon Rashid; Secretary-General, Shri Akbar Khan; delegates, present and former Members of Parliament, Bihar Legislature and other dignitaries will grace the occasion. As regards the first subject, viz. Parliament’s role in the development agenda, it is imperative that the notion of development needs to provide every individual a life of dignity and right to freedom, equality and basic standard of living. There is not only a growing importance on people-centric issues but also in promoting development patterns that are sustainable. In September 2015, a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets were adopted by the world leaders within the broader framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to transform the world by ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring prosperity for all by the year 2030. As such, India’s commitment to SDGs is mirrored in its national development agenda. As the highest representative institution, Parliament is mandated with the responsibility of debating, discussing and approving national development plans, policies and outcomes, and holding the Government accountable for delivery of developmental targets. Parliamentarians as well as legislators, as people’s representatives, can actively engage themselves not only in the development and implementation of policies but also in making the laws pro-poor, minority and gender-responsive, and environmentally sensitive so that the broad objectives inherent in the Sustainable Development Goals can be holistically achieved across the country. The second subject, viz. Legislature and Judiciary – Two important Pillars of Democracy, to be deliberated during the Conference, has immense contemporary relevance. The makers of our Constitution were aware of the risks that our democratic polity might face when an organ wielded too much power. They therefore contemplated methods by which all three organs are able to harmoniously function within their respective domains, yet ensuring balance between each other, so as to operate national governance in an effective manner. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is composed of over 180 Branches formed in Legislatures of Commonwealth countries enjoying parliamentary democracy. All the CPA Branches are geographically grouped into nine Commonwealth Regions. The CPA India Region, which was earlier a part of CPA Asia Region, became an independent Region from 7 September, 2004. The India Region of CPA consists of the India Union Branch (Parliament of India) and 31 State / Union Territories Branches. Such Conferences of CPA India Region are held once in two years and the 5th Conference was held in 2015 in Goa. The 6th Conference of CPA India Region is likely to be attended by about 100 Delegates. For the first time, the Chairperson, CPA Executive Committee, Hon’ble Emilia M. Lifaka; Secretary-General, CPA; and Regional representatives from CPA’s Australia Region, Africa Region and Pacific Region will also attend the CPA India Region Conference. .